ON SAFARI IN KUNARK
"You must go on to the frontier without me," Kalweni announced sadly. "I have pressing matters to attend to. As the Justiciar-Prophet, I am urgently needed back at the guildhall, and honor-bound to see things done." Ignoring the puzzled looks, she turned to Belrosian. "I knew I should have taught you how to wield a sword," she said, "but now it will have to wait until we meet again." Kalweni turned and started towards the docks. "Watch out for him, Hallertau," the paladin called out over her shoulder.
***
Belrosian sat next to Keil atop the mountain pass leading out from the Lake of Ill Omen. Hallertau had gone on ahead with a ranger they'd met to scout the way. They looked out over a great valley in the Frontier Mountains.
Atop a hill on the far side of the valley, three ancient statues reared up out of the mist, the crumbling remains of some bygone empire. "The immensity of this land simply amazes me," the wizard said.
"Beautiful, isn't it," said Keil, with a gleam in his eye. The two sat there silently for a moment. "You know," Keil said suddenly, "you and Hallertau should come with me to Velious, or to Solusek's Eye..." The druid's voice trailed off when he noticed the sour look on the wizard's face.
"I really should return to my tower soon," Belrosian stammered. "I need to re-organize my rune drawer." Belrosian hated leaving the comfort of his tower, though he often did. "Why, my library is a frightful mess," he continued.
"The tower hasn't been cleaned in ages, not since my last apprentice left."
"The troll who wanted to learn wizardry?" chuckled Keil.
"These expeditions are always interrupting my research," the wizard complained, shaking his head. Keil simply sighed, and decided to try again later.
Suddenly, they heard sounds of Hallertau returning. He came huffing back up the hill- chased by three goblins!
"Get up an' help me out here, you egg-head!" he shouted. Belrosian and Keil leapt to their feet. They could see that the dwarf was hurting, bleeding from many wounds- any one of which would have knocked the frail wizard unconscious.
One of the goblins- a shaman- kept healing the others as fast as the dwarf could hit them, and Hallertau just could not get in a decisive blow. Belrosian raised both hands in an arcane gesture. BOOM! BOOM! The goblin witch doctor exploded in a storm of magical fire and ice. Enraged, it charged at Belrosian. BOOM! The wizard took a step back. BOOM! The goblin was dead. Satisfied that the wizard was all right, Hallertau turned back to face the other two goblins.
***
Later, when they were resting, a mountain giant tump came stomping up the hillside. Hallertau craned his neck up at the giant which towered above him. The sturdy dwarf came hardly up to the level of the giant's knees. "Hand me my Dwarven War Ladder, Bel," he chuckled, fingering his great sword. "I'm goin' up."
"You must go on to the frontier without me," Kalweni announced sadly. "I have pressing matters to attend to. As the Justiciar-Prophet, I am urgently needed back at the guildhall, and honor-bound to see things done." Ignoring the puzzled looks, she turned to Belrosian. "I knew I should have taught you how to wield a sword," she said, "but now it will have to wait until we meet again." Kalweni turned and started towards the docks. "Watch out for him, Hallertau," the paladin called out over her shoulder.
***
Belrosian sat next to Keil atop the mountain pass leading out from the Lake of Ill Omen. Hallertau had gone on ahead with a ranger they'd met to scout the way. They looked out over a great valley in the Frontier Mountains.
Atop a hill on the far side of the valley, three ancient statues reared up out of the mist, the crumbling remains of some bygone empire. "The immensity of this land simply amazes me," the wizard said.
"Beautiful, isn't it," said Keil, with a gleam in his eye. The two sat there silently for a moment. "You know," Keil said suddenly, "you and Hallertau should come with me to Velious, or to Solusek's Eye..." The druid's voice trailed off when he noticed the sour look on the wizard's face.
"I really should return to my tower soon," Belrosian stammered. "I need to re-organize my rune drawer." Belrosian hated leaving the comfort of his tower, though he often did. "Why, my library is a frightful mess," he continued.
"The tower hasn't been cleaned in ages, not since my last apprentice left."
"The troll who wanted to learn wizardry?" chuckled Keil.
"These expeditions are always interrupting my research," the wizard complained, shaking his head. Keil simply sighed, and decided to try again later.
Suddenly, they heard sounds of Hallertau returning. He came huffing back up the hill- chased by three goblins!
"Get up an' help me out here, you egg-head!" he shouted. Belrosian and Keil leapt to their feet. They could see that the dwarf was hurting, bleeding from many wounds- any one of which would have knocked the frail wizard unconscious.
One of the goblins- a shaman- kept healing the others as fast as the dwarf could hit them, and Hallertau just could not get in a decisive blow. Belrosian raised both hands in an arcane gesture. BOOM! BOOM! The goblin witch doctor exploded in a storm of magical fire and ice. Enraged, it charged at Belrosian. BOOM! The wizard took a step back. BOOM! The goblin was dead. Satisfied that the wizard was all right, Hallertau turned back to face the other two goblins.
***
Later, when they were resting, a mountain giant tump came stomping up the hillside. Hallertau craned his neck up at the giant which towered above him. The sturdy dwarf came hardly up to the level of the giant's knees. "Hand me my Dwarven War Ladder, Bel," he chuckled, fingering his great sword. "I'm goin' up."